JB Personal Training

12/05/2016

I picked this up from a Danish paper and I have copied it to our blog. Have a read; it is a great way to get fit without getting bored! Researchers in Denmark recently began delving into that issue and in the process developed a new approach to intense interval training that could appeal even …

22/04/2016

Former TOWIE star, 29, made the bizarre claim in a video he posted on social media this morning following a 19-minute run. Fans were quick to poke fun at…

06/01/2016

What is core stability???

Simply put, it is the ability to stabilise the lumbar spine and mid section of the body, and maintaining neutral spine whether you are exercising or not! When you consider the benefits of core stability training, the list is impressive, and probably the reason why so many people focus on this particular area of fitness.

What you need to consider when choosing the right core exercise is 'what do I want to achieve from doing it?' Is it for general stability and strength, or do you need it because of the sport and or activities that you take part in. The reason I would ask this is because if you take part in a sport, then more specific core exercises may need to be prescribed in order to improve sports performance.

Core stability exercises can be categorised into 2 areas, static and dynamic. Static exercises such as the plank and balancing on a swiss ball require you to keep the core area stable but with no movement. Dynamic exercises require you to maintain stability of the spine, however, the spine is moving. Dynamic core stability exercises can be harder for people to perform as they require more body awareness and ability to statically contract core stabilising muscles whilst allowing others to contract dynamically.

So if you're just looking to generally improve your core stability, then focus on a variety of static and dynamic exercises which involve different movements and positions. And as you begin to improve, do not be tempted to continuously increase the time, this is a good idea initially, but be sure to increase the intensity as well.

Get in touch for more information.

04/01/2016

The plank, on the swiss ball........
Ok, so it 'is' good for core stability, but is it really functional? Meaning, how does this exercise mimic day to day movements and activities??
Core Stability; the subject of my next post....

04/01/2016

Easy quick lunch idea.
Packed with everything you need.
Protein, carbs, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

01/01/2016

THE ATKINS DIET

So I was watching a documentary this morning (New Years Day) on the Atkins diet, and thought it would be a good idea to give you an idea of it and whether it's good for you.
Basically this diet has been around for the last 30 years and it would be surprising if you knew anyone that has never heard of it.
The Atkins diet is a very low carbohydrate and high protein and fat diet. The idea is that when the body is low on carbohydrate (our main energy source) it will turn to stored fat in order to provide energy. This type of diet has been advocated by many celebrities, and it has been plain to see the weight loss results it has produced, initially from Jennifer Aniston and also Renee Zellweger.

Let's think about the role of carbohydrate; it is our main source of energy, yielding only 4kcals per gram, compared to fat which yields 9kcals per gram. It also contains fibre, which I describe as the shell or skeleton of plants. Fibre is required to bulk up your food, slowing digestion time allowing full absorption of nutrients and also cleansing of the small and large intestines, research shows that fibre has the ability to reduce risk of some cancers.

Now onto fat, we do need it; it plays a really important role in keeping us healthy, and optimum functioning. However, the Atkins diet doesn't focus on our healthy fats; such as poly-unsaturated, mono-unsaturated and our EFA's (essential fatty acids omega 3 & 6), as it encourages plenty of animal protein and saturated fat, for example; bacon, beef, sausages, fried eggs, full fat milk, cheese and butter. An increase in any food will equate to weight gain; that is fact, whether it is fat, protein or carbohydrate. The argument lies around the fact that although fat has over twice the calories of carbohydrate; we are less likely to consume as much, and as it is consumed with protein; this may leave us feeling fuller for longer. Eat a portion of refined carbohydrate and you'll find that you'll be going back for more very soon, and therefore consuming more in the long run. The reason for the urge for more is due to the spike and then dip in insulin levels; responding to the sugar in the blood needing transportation into the cells of the body, this is the role of insulin, and when insulin levels drop so do we, leaving us feeling sluggish and needing more. This can easily lead to excess calories being consumed, weight gain, obesity and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, known as insulin resistant diabetes.

One way to increase our cholesterol levels is to consume saturated fat, of course this is not desirable. Cholesterol plays an important role in producing hormones and cell formation, our liver makes cholesterol, therefore it is unnecessary to focus on consuming more or increasing our levels. The big problem lies here; increased cholesterol levels means that there is more circulating in the blood, this means more can attach and settle on the artery walls (our blood vessels), this build up causes blood pressure to rise and a hardening of the muscular artery wall. This causes blood to pass through at high pressure (hypertension), and if the build up of cholesterol (known as atheroma) breaks away; this can cause a blockage in blood vessels around the heart and brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke respectively.

I know many people who swear by a high saturated fat diet, and have no health issues. Does the Atkins diet work? Yes, absolutely, but is it a safe and sustainable diet? Absolutely not!
It is important to be aware of these issues before you make your own mind up and give it a go.

Please comment on this article if you found it interesting, useful, or if you want to know more.

Happy New Year!!

12/01/2015

TOP TIPS for FAT LOSS

3. Eat more regularly
It may sound like a plan to put on more weight but eating more regularly will actually help you to lose more weight. Now I am not suggesting that you continue to stuff yourself full every time you feel a little hungry, but what I am suggesting is that you eat smaller amounts of food more regularly. Doing this will help to keep your metabolism raised while your body works for longer periods to digest your food. Think of your digestive system and metabolism as a burning fire, the more often you fuel the fire (with food), the bigger and more constant the flames (metabolism) will be.
Many people will eat an extremely large meal 2-3 times per day, leaving many hours between meals, and not to mention the fasting we experience as we sleep, so the issue with this is that the longer we leave it between meals, the longer the time the metabolism has to lower, so when it is time to eat a large meal again the body struggles to deal with it. It is times like this that the body will go into starvation mode, holding on to calories that we do consume and storing them as fat!! Not what we want.
As the night draws in, for most of us our body's begin to slow down in preparation for sleeping, so it is also desirable not to eat a large meal before bedtime, and staying fairly active (not just slumming it on the sofa) will help to burn any excess calories that you may have over consumed and do not require.
So aim for breakfast, lunch and a lighter dinner with snacks in between to avoid the hungry feeling. Do not be discouraged by short term weight gain, as this may occur in the early stages, the aim here is fat loss; consider asking a fitness professional to measure your body fat percentage and be happy with your weight whatever it is!

07/01/2015

TOP TIPS for FAT LOSS

2. Eat more protein.
Protein is required in the diet to repair and build new tissue, and our entire lean selves are made of protein, so it makes sense to consume it, but how this would assist in fat loss is to follow.
Well lets start by reminding ourselves that the more lean mass we have then the higher our metabolism is going to be, and as mentioned before, this means our body will burn more calories per day from fat (while we are not performing any exercise), it might not be a lot per day but it soon all adds up! So therefore if we are exercising then consuming additional protein throughout the day will ensure that our 'pool' of amino acids(protein) remains topped up and we are less likely to lose this precious protein from our muscles. You see the issue is that when we exercise we predominantly use up glycogen(carbohydrates), however we also break down and convert a little protein into usable energy, a process you may well know as 'gluconeogenesis', and where do we store protein? yes in our muscle, so by using protein for an energy source is not desirable, we will end up consuming ourselves, and a lower muscle mass will result in a reduced rate of metabolism, and this will in turn lead to less fat loss.
Another good reason to eat more protein is because it is harder for the body to digest, this means it takes more time and more 'energy' for the food to be broken down and be digested. Remaining in the stomach for longer really will make you feel fuller for longer! And the added bonus is that protein contains exactly the same 4kcal per gram that carbohydrate does, this may leave you feeling fuller even though you have consumed less food and a lower number of calories.

06/01/2015

TOPS TIPS for FAT LOSS
Losing weight, or more importantly losing fat is a subject on many peoples minds. Here are some straight forward and effective tips to shift the fat in 2015. But remember, body fat can not be spot reduced, so stop doing all those abdominal curls if you want a flatter tummy!!

1. Perform high intensity exercise. Although it is the big thing right now, the fact is that it has been around for decades and originally devised for body builders. Participating in HIT classes or training for short periods (usually 30 minutes, or 45 maximum) has been proven to maintain lean tissue (muscle) whilst burning a higher percentage of fat compared to a moderate intensity 40-60 minute session. However, the fat loss is minimal during the exercise while glycogen (stored glucose, originally carbohydrates) is the main fuel used. The magic happens after the exercise as the body begins to repair itself and replenish energy stores. This process demands a high volume of oxygen and fat to supply the energy for this repair and replenish to happen while your metabolism remains elevated, this is often called 'the afterburn' or technically known as EPOC, which stands for Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption.
So the rule here is simple; the harder you work, the longer your body will experience the afterburn (between 3 and 18 hours depending on the intensity and duration), and the longer the afterburn; the more more fat you can expect to lose.

More tips for fat loss coming soon......

18/12/2014

Staying active during pregnancy is important to promote an easier birth and quicker postnatal recovery, so follow these top tips for antenatal fitness:

1. If you are already exercising then it is okay to continue following the advice below, but if you are starting exercise while you are pregnant then you are advised to visit your GP or Midwife first.

2. Core stability training will assist in antenatal balance as your centre of gravity changes, give you strength to push during birth, and get you back to your pre-birth shape. After the first trimester; avoid lying in a prone position (face down) on your stomach, so no back extensions or press ups! On all fours is an ideal position to adopt for core stability, simply drawing in the abdominals and including arm and leg movements is an excellent place to start. Remember to work your pelvic floor muscles too; do this by including fast and slow contractions of the muscles that stop you doing a wee. Doing these exercises pre and post pregnancy will give you greater bladder control.

3. Aerobic training is great for you and your baby's circulation, but too much at a high intensity can cause overheating; so stick to interval training (using effort and rest periods), allowing short bursts of effective exercise followed by a longer or same rest period, for example; 1 minute moderate intensity followed by 1 minute low intensity.

4. Resistance training is considered safe during pregnancy and is advised in order to help with postnatal baby duties! Repetition ranges of 8-12 are most appropriate for benefits in strength and endurance. Aim to work at a moderate level without over-exerting yourself, 1-3 sets depending on your fitness level. Listen to you body and rest plenty between sets. Consider functional exercises such and squats, lunges and shoulder press.

5. Gentle stretching is advised during pregnancy, particularly areas that you have worked, however, a hormone called relaxin is present during pregnancy which helps to loosen connective tissue in preparation for birth, this means that all muscles, ligaments and joints are affected. So avoid stretches that are held for longer than 10-15 seconds, and do not over-exert the stretch, keep it comfortable.

For further help and advise, please email [email protected]

16/11/2014

22/07/2014

Get your first session half price and a free session when you book and pay in advance